The Faith Trials
by The Raven Dark Angel
Summary: Faith,the new CEO of Wolfram and Hart,meets Kenshin, the vampire lord, in L.A. Will any of them find the redemption they so desperately seek from each other?BattousaiFaithOkita Lemon and violence.RK-crossover.
1. Remembrance

Hey all! I bet you didn't know I'd ever do something like this, yeah? Ah well. This is the introduction to Faith, the other parts would come later. Cheers, all, and please, please review, I need to know what you think about this! It's gonna be a bundle of laughs, man. 

Faith hated the rain. 

Scowling at the overcast sky which looked more like the belly of an enormous demon, she put a cigarette to her mouth, flicked the cheap lighter and lit it. 

__

It's been a while since I've done this, she thought. She had sworn never to smoke again, especially since smoking reminded her of a particular dark time she had been in, but this time, she couldn't help it. She needed the release. Well, she could've just picked off any guy from the street and worked the kinks out of her system the old-fashioned way, but screw that. 

And besides, in order to pick out a guy from the street, she would have to go out into the frigging rain. 

And Faith hated the rain. 

Her dead trailer tramp mother had always thrown her out into the cold, pouring rain, leaving her to fend for herself. And the last time she had been in this kind of weather was when she had totally broken down. Granted, it was obvious that the breakdown was coming, but what the hell. She hated feeling weak. Always had. 

Leaning against the balcony doorframe, she looked out at the heavy rain. She looked out, and remembered. 

She was in a rage. Whether at Angel or at herself, she didn't know. She hadn't known anything for a long time, and it felt good to be angry. To be violent. But torturing Wesley was not enough; she had made sure that the pompous bastard remembered everything he'd done to her, but that had not been enough. Oh, not even close. 

But then Angel had taken the bait, hook, line, and sinker, and that was enough for her. Picking up a shattered piece of wood, she barely restrained a snarl as she lunged at him. He maneuvered himself, yanked the stake away from her, and shattered it But she was far from done. Her blood pounding, she kicked the glass topped sofa table at his face, broken glass flying everywhere. 

Catching his momentary off-balance, she jumped him, wrapping her legs around his waist and using her body to slam him against the wall. Hard.

As he fell to the floor, she straddled him, too deep into her rage to notice anything else. "Come on, Angel! I thought you were bad!" 

As if in response, Angel took a hold of one of her wrists and tossed her off him. They kept going, with her throwing all the blows. Finally, she sent him flying behind the sofa. "You can't take me! No one can take me!" 

With a snarl, Angel leapt back up, seemingly unfazed. For every hit Faith took, he took an additional two.   
She threw a sneer at the vampire. "Come on!"   
Angel tackled her and they both burst through the window, falling two stories to land on a trash-container lid. Almost immediately, they rolled off of it and she, once again, threw Angel around. When he hit the ground, she stalked towards him, her scream echoing throughout the alley. She was sick of him holding back; she wanted a fight. She wanted to die. "You're gonna die!"   
It was then that she felt the heavy droplets fall. Unbidden, visions of her lying helpless in the rain year ago enraged her further, dragging her deeper into hell. She was strong. She was invincible! 

"You hear me? You don't know what evil is!" She punched and kicked, and yet Angel did not retaliate. Close to tears, she screamed. "I'm bad! Fight back!"   
She kept hitting, not caring if he ducked or if the blows connected. She didn't care anymore. She wanted to provoke him, so much so that he would end her life with one blow. Or break her neck, she didn't care, as long as he ended her suffering. Her self-loathing threatened to suffocate her, to beat her down so that she would never stand up again. 

__

Well, guess what? She thought wildly, whaling on Angel. _You've won!! _

Finally, Angel grabbed her wrist, stopping her motions. "Nice try, Faith." 

He tossed her away from him, then walked towards her. Her chest heaving, she glared defiantly at him, challenging him.   
He stopped and looked down at her. "I know what you want."   
Faith bit back a curse as she struck out at him as hard as she could, fury fuelling her every move. How dare he look at her so calmly? Why didn't he hate her? She deserved to be hated! _Hit me back. Hit me, damn it!!_

And this time, he hit back.

Pain exploded in her face as she was thrown back, and she fought an insane urge to laugh. Pain was good. 

Pain was always good. 

But inflicting pain was better. 

Faith leapt back up, hitting and screaming, but this time, her blows were unfocused, full of pure rage, bottled up inside for so long.   
"I'm not gonna make it easy for you." Angel said as he dodged another hit. So he knew. He knew what she was doing.   
Without thinking, she threw herself against him, wishing she could just hurt him some more so that she could get rid of what was gnawing at her from inside. To do something, _anything, _about the pain. "I'm evil! I'm bad! I'm evil! Do you hear me? I'm bad! Angel, I'm bad!" 

And big bad Faith, the renegade Slayer, began to break down, her sobs now echoing throughout the empty alley, anguished and tormented. "I'm ba-ad. Do you hear me? I'm bad! I'm bad! I'm bad. Please. Angel, please, just do it. Angel please, just do it. Just do it. Just kill me. Just kill me." 

__

I just want it to end. Is that so hard?   
She felt him wrap his cold, cold arms around her shoulders, pulling her against him. Her knees buckled, and he knelt with her, never letting go, holding her tightly as the walls came tumbling down on her. "Shh. It's all right. It's okay. I'm here. I'm right here. Shh." 

It felt like decades, even though Faith knew that it was only a little more than a year ago. So many things had happened since then, catching Angelus, re-ensouling him and kicking his kid's butt while she was at it, destroying the First with the Scooby Gang and the Potentials back in Sunnydale, ditching Wood and coming to L.A. once more to search for--and train--Slayers, Wood's death at the hands of Branhichorian demons she had later dispatched…

__

It's nothing personal. It's just after I get bouncy with a guy, there's not that much more I need  
to know about him.

That's bleak.

Way of the world, Wood.

That's good to know 'cause for a second there I thought it was more defensive, isolationist slayer crap.

And he comes out swinging.

Faith, there's a whole world out there that you don't even know about, and a lot of the men in it are pretty decent guys. They'd surprise you.

Guy looks at me, let's just say his priorities shift. 

Why, because you're so hot?

It's what it is, yo.

Ah, happier days. Faith stubbed out the current cigarette and lit another one. She had actually been miserable when Wood had died; he was the first man she had actually trusted in, and the Powers that goddamed Be had taken him away from her. But then again, she figured it was retribution for all the evil she'd done, and it wasn't like she was in a position to make them feel as bad as they made her feel. Besides, the time for that was long over. 

__

Where're you gonna go? Back out in that darkness? I once told you that you didn't have to go out in that darkness. Remember? That it was your choice. Well, you chose. You thought that you could just touch it. That you'd be okay. Five by five, right, Faith? But it swallowed you whole. So tell me, how did you like it?

Help me?

Yeah. 

She wasn't bitter about it anymore. Well, not really, anyway. She was out of the darkness. Not exactly in the light--she knew that she would never be in the light--but she was on her way to redemption. It was tough, tougher than she'd imagined, but at least it was something. 

__

So, Angel, how does this work?  
There is no real simple answer to that. I won't lie to you and tell you that it'll be easy, because it won't be. Just because you've decided to change doesn't mean that the world is ready for you to. The truth is, no matter how much you suffer, no matter how many good deeds you do to try to make up for the past you may never balance out the cosmic scale. The only thing I can promise you is that you'll probably be haunted. And may be for the rest of your life.

Yep, definitely haunted. She had originally been asking how to work the damned microwave oven with Angel hovering behind her, but the answer he'd given had been to something else, something else she had really wanted to ask, and had hit closer to home that she would ever admit. She looked out at the downpour and exhaled, watching the smoke get beaten down by the fat droplets of water. For some reason, that particular tendril reminded her of Angel. Angel and his sidekicks. His bratty kid, Wes, a cute brunette called Fred, and Gunn. 

Gunn was cool. 

Last she heard, Fred, Gunn, and Wes had died from the latest apocalypse ever to hit L.A.. It was tragic, but she understood that good could only triumph over evil when good gave up everything to fight it. As a direct result, the Shan-whatever prophecy was fulfilled, and Angel became human. 

It was then that the prophecy paid a trick on her savior. By being 'human', it meant taking the demon away, and without the demon, the 250 year old vampire was dust. He had fought the good fight, and he had won. Last she heard, he'd been elevated to some kind of higher power.

Now that Angel was gone, this was her city, and it fell to her to protect it. To be honest, she had never expected this day to come, but it did, and she would deal with it the only way she knew how. 

Which would be to kick as much demon ass as possible before it kicked hers. 

__

City of Angels, huh? More like City of Fallen Angels. 

Tossing the cigarette outside, she sighed, turned away and slid the glass door shut. 


	2. Resurrection

Hey all, this is the second chapter of my story. It contains major spoilers for Season 5's Angel, though. Well, some of them, at least. J Had loads of fun writing this story, though I don't know how, exactly, it's gonna turn out. Please, please be so kind as to review and tell me what you think! I live for reviews! 

Many, many thanks to my very first reviewer, **Animegoddess177**. Yeah, girl, Faith is the Slayer from Angel, and I agree, girl, too much Kenshin and Kaoru around! Haha I don't know if this will work, but at least it'll be a breath of fresh air. Faith and Kenshin would make a very cute couple, don't you think? And your story rocks. I'll definitely be dropping by and giving you a lo-ong review in your story!

This fic is dedicated to my buddy **Astronema**. I know you're strictly a LOTR fan, but still, this is for you anyway. Enjoy and tell me what you think and what you wanna see in the upcoming chapters! See you!

God, this place is like a freakin' tomb, Faith thought derisively as she made her way down the stairs. The Hyperion was silent, and the shadows thrown across it's floors made it seem unwelcoming. She glanced at what was supposed to be the receptionist's desk. It had definitely seen better days. In her mind's eye, she saw Angel perched on the desk while Wesley and Fred pored over several ominous looking books. Gunn would be near the weapons' closet, and Cordelia would most probably be attending to the calls. She opened her eyes, and she saw them, images of people they once were, and for a crazy nanosecond, she almost believed that it was real. 

The slightest of breezes wafted in, snaking through the entire lobby, and Faith blinked. The lobby was empty. 

For the millionth time, she wanted to get away from this place, but where could she go? She could only afford the cheapest of motels, and even so, no thank you. The last time she was in one, a centuries-old vampire creep almost busted her chops. And besides, all the important books were here, surprisingly left untouched. Faith would also need a big enough space for her to be able to train the new Slayers, so killing a bunch of birds with one stone and all that. 

And speaking of the new Slayers…it was about time she went to find them. Giles had given her a list of names a couple of days ago--twelve in all--of who were most likely Slayers. Thankfully, he had also provided addresses. 

The hardest thing now was to go up to them and tell them the legacy without looking like a kook, and in all honesty, it was something she didn't really know how to go about doing; she was never a people person. 

Sitting down behind the receptionist's desk and propping her boots on the table casually, she took out the list she kept in her denim jacket. The list of girls' names jumped out at her, all unfamiliar and some of them strange. A couple of them even lived in the upscale Hollywood estates, which, for Faith, was pretty much amusing. 

__

Imagine some prissy brat whining about her manicure after she stakes a vamp. She smirked down at the paper, bemused, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a small rectangle of paper lying on the floor below the desk. It was namecard-sized. Frowning slightly, she took her boots off the table and reached for it. It definitely was a namecard. Torn in a couple of places, but still. 

Flipping it over, she saw the name 'Angel Investigations' written on it, followed by a drawing of what looked like a drowned rat at the side. Below it was a phone number and the address of the Hyperion. Tilting it slightly, Faith realized the drawing was an angel. Crap sketch, but still. 

She stared at the card for a long moment, the memories flowing through her, as well as a pang of sadness. The first time she'd been in here, it had only been for a couple of minutes. Angelus was on the loose, and she had quickly gathered his friends on a search-and-rescue team. 

Putting Angelus back in his cage had been the first actively good thing that she'd done, she had gone against the age-old Slayer instinct to kill vampires, letting her conscience guide her on this, and damn she had felt good. Of course, she'd been conked out and dangerously close to death at the time, but whatever. Then she'd gone on a mind trip thing with Angelus, witnessing Angel's early days--nights, to be specific--and finally understanding what his struggle had been about. To be truthful, he wasn't all that different from her. He was the only one who understood, who cared. Who pulled her back, once again, from the seductive lull of death. 

__

Faith, get up! Are you listening? 

Angel, I'm dying.

Yeah. It's a lot easier than redemption, huh? 

I've rolled the bones. You for me. 

I used to think that. That there'd be a point when I'd paid my dues. Faith, listen to me. You saw me drink. It doesn't get much lower than that. And I thought I could make up for it by disappearing.

I did my time. 

Our time is never up, Faith. 

We pay for everything. 

It hurts. 

I know. I know. 

Get up! You have to get up now. Faith, you have to fight. I need you to fight. Do you understand what I'm saying?

Absently, the dark-haired Slayer toyed with the card, lost in her memories. Angel had set up the investigating firm to help the helpless more effectively, but now that he was gone…she frowned at the card again. Could she even do this? She couldn't even lead properly, much less run Angel Investigations. She knew she was better off beating the crap out of demons, but this was her city now, and she was alone. She had to call the shots; there was no other choice. _And besides, in memory of Angel, who was the knight in shining armor and all. It'd be a waste to shut this down. _

Especially since Angel Investigations was a good way to start things. It definitely wasn't the best, but screw that. She had sins to atone for, and she would do it. For the first time, she no longer doubted her legacy, no longer would she think that her calling had been an accident. She was meant to be here. 

But the problem was, where, _exactly, _was she going to start?

She leapt to her feet in a flash as the doors to the hotel was thrown open--the sound of rain pounding against the pavement outside almost deafening in the silence of the lobby--and in came Spike. 

"Well, well, what have we here?" 

Faith stared at him, relaxing slightly nonetheless. "Spike? What are you doing here?" 

Spike shrugged, looked the entire place over, and removed his trenchcoat. "Got caught in the bleeding rain. Came in for a bit of a shelter, that's all." He shrugged when no reply was forthcoming. "Also, this was the only place I could think of. Seems like you beat me to it, though. What are you doing here?"

Faith shrugged. "Putting Angel Investigations back into business." 

The vampire looked disbelieving. "All by your lonesome?" 

"Don't exactly see anyone else around here doin' it." 

"You're supposed to be out there looking for demons to kill, not setting up the Ponce's fanclub, you know." 

"Stuff it, Peroxide Boy. L.A.'s lost Angel, and now I'm the boss. Better to look for the newbies this way, too." 

"Hey, just because you're a Slayer doesn't make automatically make you the guardian or something." Spike frowned. "There's still me." 

Faith was about to shoot a scathing remark to that when the phone rang shrilly, making the both of them jump. The Slayer picked up the phone. "Yeah?" 

Meanwhile, Spike had gotten bored and was walking around the lobby, inspecting the furniture. It was an interior designer's nightmare, to say the least. He was about to open a closet to see what was inside when he heard Faith put down the phone and get out of her seat. 

"Who was it?" he asked idly. 

"Baby demons in a basement." Faith, on her end, looked somewhat eager. "Throw me an axe. I'm going exterminating." 

"Where the hell do I find an axe?" 

She gestured to the closet he was standing in front of. "Open sesame." 

He pulled the door open, and an astonishing array of weapons glinted dangerously up at him. Despite himself, he grinned. Oh yes, the Big Bad was back in business. He threw a particularly deadly looking axe at the Slayer, who caught it just as she was about to walk through the door, and took a scythe for himself. 

She paused for a moment, then glanced over her shoulder. "You with?"

"Well, someone's gotta keep you out of trouble." He shrugged. "It's raining like hell outside." 

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. And we got a job to do, so come on." 

__

We, huh? He thought, somewhat pleased. Nonetheless, he gestured towards the back doors. "We'll take my car. Can't afford to get these babies rusty." 

She looked at him suspiciously. "You came in a car?" 

"Yeah, so I didn't just drop by for shelter. Sue me." He shot back defensively. Faith simply shook her head and walked past him, passing him the address she'd scribbled down earlier. 

"Hey," Spike suddenly said as they walked out together. "I've got an idea, why not let's call it Spike Investigations?" 

"In your dreams." 

"Why not?" 

"'Cause you're a dumbass." 

"Well, this check takes care of the bills for a couple of months. See the number of zeroes on this thing? Sweet deal." Faith said an hour later, pleased, as Spike started the car. She tossed the axe in the backseat, then slipped the piece of paper into her jacket. 

"Hey, watch the upholstery! I don't need new breathing holes in my backseat." The vampire snapped irritably. Unlike the Slayer, he'd sustained a few cuts and bruises, which pissed him off to no end because it bloody hurt like hell. He supposed those demons had some kind of toxin in their claws. 

Faith ignored him, already thinking about something else, something which had nagged insistently at the back of her mind ever since Spike dropped in. "Thought you were with Illyria." 

Faith had only met Illyria for a few minutes, and it was obvious to Spike that the Slayer was slightly unnerved by her. Not that he could blame her, though. Having a god eat their way through someone you used to know and later take their form is…odd, to say the least. Although Illyria was now no longer inhabited in that body, she vastly preferred it. Spike had managed to ask her why one day, and she'd said that it was to remember Wesley by, and that Wesley had loved her. 

Well. 

"Still moping about somewhere. Wes's death and all." Faith cast a glance at him, but realized that he was not being sarcastic. 

"Pity, isn't it? Fred, Wes, Gunn, Angel." 

"Life's banged-up like that." He paused for a moment as he switched lanes. "Well, it was about time for Peaches. Can't have two vampires with souls running about." 

After a moment of silence, Faith spoke. "So. Angel Investigations?" 

"Ah yes. Been meaning to talk to you about that." 

She eyed him warily. "What about it?" 

"See, the Hyperion is not suited for that kind of business. A relocation is in order." 

Faith laughed. "Sorry to bust your bubble, buddy. It's all we can afford at the moment."

He smiled. "Not exactly." 

She studied his knowing look. "All right. Spill it, whatever it is."

"As of now, there's no more Angel Investigations, only Wolfram and Hart." 

Her smile was completely wiped off her face as she stared at him in disbelief. "The demon law firm? Look, no freaking way, all right? They can kiss my ass." 

"Wait. Listen to me, Faith," Spike said before she could get really heated. "It's not what you think." He quickly explained everything that had gone on in her absence, Angel and the others on the joining of Wolfram and Hart and what went on, the throwing down of the Senior Partners…everything. 

"I can't believe you guys can hide this from me," Faith snapped angrily when he was done. "I helped you guys with the clean-up and everything, and you didn't even tell me. And you're working for them, too?" 

"How'd you think I scored this sweet ride? Angel didn't want you getting the wrong idea." Spike shrugged grimly. "And no one really wanted to talk about it, especially after Gunn's and Wesley's deaths. He did good, though. Got Wolfram and Hart back into the beat, severed all demonic ties. When he defeated the Senior Partners Wolfram and Hart was his." 

Faith took a couple of minutes for this to properly sink in. Wolfram and Hart, the number one evil force in L.A…now belonged to Angel? "That big-ass dragon?" 

"Yeah. Physical manifestation of the Senior Partners." 

"Oh." 

"Told me to tell you. And give you a nice spot if you wanted in." 

"Tight." 

"Yeah. So, you with?" 

"Gotta think about it. Wolfram and Hart tried to kick my ass once."

"Ever wondered why none of the cops busted your ass yet?" 

"Don't tell me Wolfram and Hart's got something to do with it." 

He grinned. "Yeah. We had someone to erase all your records. Free as a bird. We're the white hats now." The car stopped in front of the law firm, standing tall and imposing against the L.A. skyline. With some work, the building had been restored to its former glory, only now there wasn't quite so much demonic presence about it. 

Faith frowned at him. "Tell me why we're here." 

"A tour of the premises? You'd like it."

Spike had begun with a quick introduction to the building. Since it was already late, there were only a select few lawyers working. Despite herself, she'd been impressed with it. The labs were huge, the research materials were boundless, the offices were enormous…

__

Never thought I'd live to be in something like this. She thought. As they made their way through an office, a brunette with a sweet face leapt up cheerfully. "Mr. Spike!" 

He nodded. "Hey, Clarisse." 

Faith smirked. "New squeeze?" 

"Your personal assistant." 

The personal assistant in question made her way over to them, looking fashionably chic in a well-cut suit. "And this must be Miss Faith? It's good to finally see you in person." 

Faith blinked, surprised. Then she turned to Spike. "My personal assistant? You planned this all along?" 

He grinned. "Yeah. I've always been a little towards the dramatic, myself. You even got your first paycheck." 

"What?" 

"In your pocket." 

Faith immediately understood. "So the whole demon thing was a ruse?" 

"Nah. Mrs. Berley was one of our clients, and the trouble was real. I just told her to call the Hyperion."

She scowled at him, annoyed. "I'd like you to be upfront about it, not lead me in a roundabout. Gets irritating." 

He shrugged. "Surprise." 

She didn't bother to reply as she gazed at the gold plaque that was embossed on an oaken door, not bothering to hide her shock. 

FAITH

PRESIDENT/ CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

WOLFRAM AND HART

Spike said to Clarisse. "Here it comes."  
"What the hell?" 

"Look, dude," Faith said as soon as she and Spike were alone. They were in her office. HER office. _Those two words had never belonged in the same dictionary before. _And it was enormous. Heck, the entire lobby of the Hyperion could fit comfortably into it and there'd still be a lot of space left over! "You made a mistake, all right? I cannot run an entire law firm, for God's sake! I can't lead, or take charge! The last time I did it, I blew half of the people up and nearly got my ass blown up sky high." 

"Hey, I'm not happy about that either, all right? I'm AVP, of all bleeding things! But Angel expressly wanted you to have this position. He thinks you can do it." 

Tiredly, Faith rubbed her temples. This night was getting progressively from bad to worse. "No. No, I can't. I'm a Slayer, not a freaking diplomat! I do better beating the crap out of demons, not sitting my ass here the whole day doing nothing but paperwork!" 

"Hey, you can do ground work too. But look on the bright side, anytime things get too hot, we've got our special-ops thing on the ready. And being the CEO of Wolfram and Hart is the magic key to unlock almost every high-flying underworld circle out there. You get information you normally won't even get as a Slayer, and you can manipulate people and demons a hell a lot better, too. The deal doesn't get sweeter than this. And then there's the added bonus of me going out in the sun without getting boiled."

She sighed. "This isn't about the treats and stuff. It's about helping _people._ Isn't that what Angel does?"

"We've moved up a few notches. Why fight only the peanuts when you can save people on a larger scale, too? Even the Ponce knows that, which is why he fought the Partners as CEO in the first place. You have the power to do greater good here, think about it. There are resources here you can only dream of, and these are the tools we need to fight evil. So come on!" 

He made sense. 

Everything made sense, but it was just too soon. Faith, CEO of Wolfram and Hart? It was a lot to take in at the moment. "Let me think on it." 

"Well, you'd better put on that thinking cap fast, 'cause we've got major clients coming in tomorrow evening. They make up close to half of the firm's income. And they want to see you." 

"What?! Shit, I can't DO this!"

"Give it a shot. They know that you're new, and Wolfram and Hart holds a lot of power not just in L.A.. They're not going to make this difficult for you." 

The closest she'd ever come to being in power was being at the Mayor's right hand, running errands for him and getting pretty gifts in return. And this…

"Angel's lucky he's not here," Faith growled. "Or else I'll be whomping his ass right about now." Sure, she owed a lot to him and all, but did he know what he was asking of her? Of what he was giving to her? What the heck had he been thinking? 

But still, sitting on the luxurious leather seat held a certain sense of excitement for her. She was not stupid; she knew she could use the extra help, especially in locating the new Slayers, but what she wasn't sure of was HOW she was actually supposed to handle the post of CEO. What, exactly, was required of her? This was just like that show she'd watched a year ago, the one about a bunch of little people and some kind of all-powerful ring. The ring destroyed everyone it came into contact with and sent them reeling into the darkness. Faith had been in that darkness once, consumed in the power of being a Slayer, and she was not looking forward to dipping in it again. 

Power corrupted people, that was one of the things she'd learned in murder rehab, and it was the one thing that stuck most in her mind. 

__

Maybe I should just take this as a test. She thought to herself. _If Angel gave me this spot, he knows I can do it. If nothing else, I trust the guy. And this job will help me make a bigger difference, even out the odds, so to speak. _

Nevertheless, she stood up abruptly. "I'm beat. I'll let you know my answer tomorrow." 

Spike stood up and shrugged. "Fine by me. Want a ride home?" 

"No. I'm gonna walk this out." 

"It's a long way." 

"Screw that." 

"The limo will be waiting outside for you at nine. It's your choice. Save more people, save less people. Think about it."

"Yeah." 

The night was cold, almost freezing. The traffic had thinned out considerably, which was expected this late in the night. She kept carefully away from the well-lit areas, much preferring to walk in the faded, run-down, and dangerous places in town. She wanted to see L.A.'s dark side, overridden by the glitzy promise of Hollywood not too far away. 

It was the place she was walking in now, where wannabes never made it, where drugs were the only way to pass time, to bring one away from the suffering and sadness from their lives, not knowing that for every jab they took, they died just a little more. It wasn't all that different from Boston, the way of life she'd been used to ever since she'd been a kid. 

__

And now, I've got a chance to change all of it. It wasn't so easy, she knew, but at least it was something. 

A scream, shrill, feminine, and entirely terrified snapped her out of her thoughts. Almost immediately, her Slayer senses pinpointed the exact location of the source. Whipping out the wooden stake she'd kept in her belt just in case, she broke into a sprint. The woman--girl, whatever--was still screaming, and she supposed it was a good thing. If she stopped screaming, then it was probably too late. 

Screeching to a stop in front of the narrow alleyway in between two dilapidated warehouses, she reached just in time to find a girl pressed up against a grimy wall. There was dust swirling around, most likely from some dusted vampire, and there was a slight figure with bloodred hair, tied up in a high ponytail, advancing on her. She frowned. In the darkness, she wasn't sure if that was a woman or a man. 

"My apologies. I leave no witnesses." Well, that settled the sex thing. Most definitely male, with a boyish, mannish voice that was smooth and seductive at the same time. The glint of a blade glinted in the dim light before Faith let her stake fly, the sharp tip stabbing into the guy's hand, making him drop the dagger. That vamp wasn't out to feed then, the Slayer thought, since he was about to slit her throat instead of tearing into it. 

There was a snarl, more of fury than anger, and the vampire in question whirled around, brilliant amber eyes glowing with a feral light. Well, at least there was something she could take her frustrations out on. 

Ripping the stake out of his hand with a low growl, Kenshin tossed it carelessly to the ground. She was smart; it would definitely take awhile for his hand to properly heal. The girl he'd been about to kill whimpered and beat a hasty exit. He did not bother to catch her, not this time. 

Not when _she_ was advancing on him, her movements oozing pure sensuality and confidence. He stared hard at her, the throbbing almost forgotten. Her ki called out to him, filled with power. It was nothing like he'd sensed before, and it startled him momentarily. Judging from the stake on the floor, she had to be one of the Chosen, but the energy he felt coming from her was much more powerful than that. It was a kind of purity…stained with darkness. 

And it sang to him. 

"Run as fast as you can," she said to the girl as the latter sobbed and ran. Her voice was sultry and distinct. Then she turned to smirk at him, crimson lips curling up into a smirk. "Just when I thought my night can't get anymore boring." 

She had another stake at the ready, and before he could blink, she was already rushing towards him, every inch like the warrior she was Chosen for. But he had no time for this, the Master had requested his presence, and he had to be there. He had killed a few Slayers in his time when it had been absolutely necessary, but this one…this one was special, for reasons even he did not know of. All he knew of was that it would not be in his best interests to kill her. For all he knew, they might need her services one day. 

It was his turn to smirk. "Now is not the night, Slayer." 

And before her astonished eyes, he shimmered out of existence. 


	3. Renewal

Illyria gets introduced to beer!

Disclaimer: None of them belong to me, and blah blah…

I had to sing Barry Manilow.

You're kidding.

In front of people.

And here I am, talking about my petty little problems.

Just wanted to give you a little perspective.

Copa Cabana?

Mandy. I don't wanna dwell on it.

The road to redemption is a rocky path.

That it is.

Think we might make it?

We might.

__

She was in a forest. Where, exactly, she didn't know. All she knew that it was dark, and it was unnaturally silent, as if the animals that dwelled in it are all muted by an invisible hand. Cautiously, she made her way in barefooted, barely making out the outlines of the trees. She was looking for something. Suddenly, she stopped and called out. "Where are you, Beast?"

The forest roared in response. Startled, she stepped in further. He was close, very close…she could feel him.

He leapt out of the darkness in front of her, amber eyes glowing brilliantly in the darkness. She watched, hypnotized, as he advanced towards her, where she could see it better. A throaty growl rumbled menacingly in his throat as he glared at her. He had a crimson mane, the color of the blood on his jaws and blade sharp claws.

She took a step forward, spreading open her arms in a sign of total surrender. "Come to me," she whispered, unafraid. He was hers, and only she could tame it.

He glared at her wildly, the growl blossoming into a furious snarl. She didn't move. "Come to me."

Then something in his face changed. He bounded towards her, but she did not move. Then slowly, the beast knelt down before her as if in reverence. She knelt with him, and felt his arms wind around her shoulders, pushing her gently back onto the carpeted grass. All she could see were his glorious amber eyes as she lay back, but in that moment, she watched as the amber faded to peaceful amethyst, and he began to change…

"Good morning, Miss Faith!"

"Good morning, Ma'am."

"Good to see you, Miss Faith."

"Good morning, Ma'am!"

And it went on and on as she walked.

Slightly taken aback by the show of deference by the extremely well-dressed lawyers milling about the lobby, Faith quickly nodded to them, unused to being treated this way. But it felt good.

__

Place sure looks different in the morning. Full of life. She thought as she headed towards the lifts. She'd decided to take on this job right after that encounter with that strange…person and the freaky dream she had directly afterward. He didn't seem to be a vampire or anything, and she needed the resources of Wolfram and Hart to find out, exactly, what that…person was and why he had invaded her dream after that.

__

The more I know, the better I can kick his ass, she was so deep in her thoughts that she barely noticed a expensively-suited young woman in front of her until the woman said, "Good morning, Miss Faith."

The dark-haired Slayer jumped slightly at being addressed at such close range. "Oh. Hey."

She had a cute, perky face framed by coffee brown hair. Her bright eyes twinkled as she grinned. "Hi, I'm Suzume. I'm your new P.A."

"My new P.A.?"

She nodded. "Yes. Clarisse Thompson has been permanently incapacitated. Apparently, Mr. Saito has found out that her extracurricular activities outside the company are less than savory." She lowered her voice. "She's been ritually sacrificing month-old babies to keep her looks."

"Oh." She paused for a moment and frowned. "Who's Mr. Saito?"

"Mr. Hajime Saito is the head of your special ops teams. He sends out teams nightly to patrol Los Angeles and slay demons." She paused for a moment. "For the record, under his leadership, the special ops teams have grown almost threefold, and they're much more effective than before." She glanced down at the state-of-the-art PDA she held in her hand. "You will be meeting him at three, after your meetings with the various heads of department, starting with the Financial Auditing Department."

__

Hmm, I like him already. Anyone who actively kicked demon ass was all right in her book.

The lift door opened, and Suzume held it open for her to enter. "You mean you've got my schedule down pat?" Faith asked curiously. Even the Mayor did not even have something like that. He had to schedule his meetings himself, which had caused him plenty of annoyance, and here she was, with a personal assistant tagging along behind her. She was going to have to get used to this. Fast.

Suzume nodded as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Of course, Miss Faith. That's what personal assistants do! Whenever you need anything, just buzz me on the intercom, and I'll be right over." She beamed as she pressed the fiftieth floor button. "I'm the best in the business, and they know it, which is why I became your assistant."

Faith stared at her oddly. She looked entirely too eager, and something about her was decidedly non-human. She couldn't sense it in the lobby, but in the lift up close…she scowled, stiffening. "You're not human, are you?"

"Like a third of the employees in Wolfram and Hart," she nodded brightly. "But don't worry, I'm harmless. Raoul holds checks every two days to make sure that I'm clean."

"Raoul?"

"Yeah. He and his team checks on the demons working here to ensure that they've not consumed human blood or anything that is expressly forbidden in the rule book. Pissed a lot of demons off at first, but after the vocal ones were slain by either Mr. Angel, Mr. Spike, or Mr. Saito, they learned to live with it." She paused, then added as an afterthought. "Most of us are pretty much harmless. Really."

"That's good to know." Faith replied as the doors opened. Well, Angel had really cleaned this place up good.

An entire round of 'Good morning's sounded once more as she made her way into her office. _Her_ very own office. _I must be the first Slayer in the history of the world to be in charge of a big-ass law firm. _The morning was definitely getting better and better, but she couldn't help but feel slightly out of place. Everyone was perfectly dressed, right down to the shiny shoes, and she was clad in a tight top and a leather jacket and pants.

"And…Miss Faith?" Suzume carried on as she shut the door quietly behind her. "You would be meeting a couple of clients later. If you would like a change of clothes to suit the occasion--"

"No. No, thanks. This is fine." Faith cut her off quickly. There was no way she was going to look like those guys in the Men In Black movie, and besides, she liked her clothes just fine, thank you very much.

Suzume looked like she was about to say something, but thought the better of it. Faith sat down behind the huge table, and hesitated for a moment.

Right, what was she supposed to do now?

Suzume, however, was not the best in the business for nothing. She already had a couple of files in her hand and had laid them on the table. "There are a few contract renewals that need your signature, Miss Faith."

Faith had already picked up a file and was riffling through it. Frowning, she spoke up after a moment. "Renewal of Contract, Angorthain demons?"

"They're part of the Research and Development team down at the labs. They were hired because they're stronger and smarter. And they only eat worms."

She made a face. "What, they're oversized birds?"

"No. More like apes, actually, but compared to the humans, they've never broken a test tube or blown anything up. That's how good they are. And they double up as frontline defenders if Wolfram and Hart ever get attacked because of their impenetrable hides. We threw a couple of bombs at them, and they weren't even affected in the least."

__

Definitely weird. Faith confirmed, slightly confused. She hadn't known that Wolfram and Hart were a demon-friendly law firm. So they may be harmless, but they definitely ranked high on the oddity scale. _First Slayer to ever employ demons. Seems like I'm breaking the record for a lot of things._

Sensing her confusion, Suzume quickly explained the inner workings of Wolfram and Hart to her. When she was done, Faith seemed to remember something. "Almost forgot. Where's Spike?"

"Oh! Mr. Spike has gone to the training floor to test Illyria's skills."

Faith stiffened immediately. "You mean she's in this building?"

Suzume was puzzled. "Of course, Miss Faith. She's been in here for a while now. After the last boss and the heads of department disappeared, she was seen wandering along the hallways until Mr. Spike assigned her a place to stay. Her dwelling's currently in a holding room on the sixteenth floor. None of us are allowed to go anywhere near there." Her PDA beeped, and Suzume looked down at it. "It's time for your meeting with the various heads of department, Miss Faith. Please follow me."

__

So soon? Faith thought in surprise as she stood up, feeling an unfamiliar twinge of nervousness curl in her stomach. Weird, she'd never once been nervous before, but then again, this was a whole new ballgame, and she was batting in an entirely different field from what she was used to before. It would make anyone nervous.

Taking a deep breath, she said. "Here goes nothing."

"You're not responding!" Spike gritted furiously as he threw another punch at the ancient demon goddess, who simply stood there, unmoving and doing her best impersonation of a statue. His patience was wearing thin, he'd been in here day after day for the last two months, throwing punches and kicks, and yet, there was no response at all from the wench. She could've been a wax figure for all he knew, and it was enough to drive a man out of his sodding mind!

There had been a time when she would gleefully whomp his ass and wipe the floor with him, and he would gladly return the favor, but now…

She simply looked ahead, unblinking.

He growled again and threw another punch, this time right smack in that pretty face of hers.

The face that belonged to someone he had failed to save.

__

This shell... you had affection for it, for Fred.

Tons. Loved the bird.

Yet you strike at her form without sentiment.

You ain't her. I can see it. Lord knows I can smell it. And I got no problem hitting it.

No reaction.

"What the hell are you thinking of?" he exploded. "Wesley's dead and gone, pet, and he's never gonna come back. No use sobbing over spilt milk and all. Wake up and fight me!!"

Finally, Illyria blinked, and began to speak.

__

"You grieve still... for a single life.

Why are you here?

I... I'm uncertain. This place... was part of the shell.

Don't call her- The woman you killed had a name.

This is important to you. Things have names. The shell... Winifred Burkle... She can't return to you.

I know.

Yet there are fragments. When her brain collapsed, electrical spasms channeled into my function system... memories. Please...Wesley, why can't I stay?"

When she was finished, the vampire just stared at her, stunned. It had seemed like she had been engaging in a sodding monologue at first, of all things, and when he heard Wesley's name…Was this the conversation they'd had?

Slowly, the ancient demon turned to him. She didn't look like a bleeding pillar any longer. Her eyes were wide…and lost. "I have memories. They refuse to go away. And they hurt. The feelings I don't have…I hurt."

Despite himself, Spike softened ever so slightly. He had wanted to hurt this broad himself, to inflict make her…it hurt the way Fred's death hurt all of them, but now... "It's called grief, pet. The bitch that is hurting you is grief. No matter how powerful you are, or how hard you try, it's never gonna go away."

"I want to get rid of it." She stated flatly. "It is offensive to me. I was once worshipped by millions, I feel nothing. I cannot be feeling something as vile as this!"

"Well, news flash, love. You're not a god anymore. You're human. And you've got all the feelings that come with it."

Her dark eyes glinted furiously. "Make it stop! I don't want these filthy feelings! It's bleeding all over me, staining my mind…make it stop!"

Spike shrugged. "If there was any way to do it, teach me. I'd like to get rid of it, myself. Been feelin' helluva lot of it lately."

Illyria stared at him wordlessly, the emotion fading from her eyes. Then, after a moment, she lowered her head. Spike shook himself. This was too emotion-loaded for his taste. Him, he'd rather push it aside and wash it down with a few kegs of beer, and get good and drunk before he allowed those feelings to overtake him.

It was time for a beer. He straightened. "Come along, now."

"You deign to command me?" she snapped.

"Just shut up and come along, grandma. Got something that will knock the bitch out."

"What is this?" Illyria stared down at the golden-yellow liquid sloshing inside a huge mug. It was topped with a thin layer of foam. It smelt…curious. Like the poison Wesley always drank right after he lay down and closed his eyes…he had said that he was…napping, whatever it was.

"It's called beer, pet." At her strange look, he continued. "You drink it."

"What does it do?"

"Well, you drink enough of it, you get bloody sloshed, and you don't feel a thing after that. Simple as that."

She stared down at it dubiously. "Will it cease permanently?"

"No."

She scowled. "I want to make it go away. And it must never come back."

Spike shrugged and lifted his mug of beer in a toast. "When you feel the hurt's coming back, knock back another. Works that way." They were currently in a bar on the tenth floor of the Wolfram and Hart building. During the refurbishment of the building, he'd exercised the good judgement to set up a classy bar here, for any employee who just wanted to relax and unwind. It was a bloody good idea, if he was any judge.

Illyria stared at him. "And this continues?"

"For as long as you want, pet," he said agreeably as he gulped down half the mug in one go.

Cautiously, she picked up her own mug of the curiously smelling liquid and took a tentative sip--

--and spat it out immediately.

"This is poison!" she spat out furiously, throwing the mug on the floor, where it shattered loudly. The smell of beer immediately invaded the place, and Steven, the bartender, looked up from cleaning the table at the other side, startled.

Spike sighed impatiently. "No one's trying to poison you! You've got to get used to the taste, you little git." He held up his mug before she could move to strangle him. "See? I'm drinking the same thing as you, and I'm not popping the big one yet, eh?"

She stared at him suspiciously, but she was calmer now. "Order me another."

"You can get one yourself. I'm not your bloody babysitter."

She glared at him. "You dare defy me?"

He glared back. "Yeah. Deal with it."

__

Well, _the meetings went pretty much smoothly_, Faith thought as Suzume gave her a full tour of the place. Spike had just shown her a couple of places, but now…she was getting more and more impressed with the entire place. _And I own it. That's already weird in itself._

She'd met with the various heads of department, but the most striking meeting she remembered was when she finally met the guy called Hajime Saito. Suzume had been full of admiration for the man, and she could see why. For all intents and purposes, the head of the Special Ops teams looked very much like a wolf, with golden eyes, a few strands of dark hair hanging over his handsomely-lined face, his sleek, stealthy movements that told her that he would be a very formidable opponent. His attitude, however, was less than sterling. The guy had a major attitude problem. He seemed almost amused when she'd met him, as if he couldn't believe that a woman could be CEO of Wolfram and Hart, and he seemed to think that he was better than everyone else.

Faith had a feeling that that sentiment was most likely true, but what the hell. It was obvious that he didn't think she could pull this off, but the Slayer was down with that; she would prove herself to everyone. Angel trusted her to do good by the company, and she sure as hell was going to do it, no matter what anyone thought.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when the huge lift doors slid open and she looked out at a huge parking lot, where more than a dozen shiny, beautiful cars were parked.

"This is your personal parking lot, Miss Faith. All these cars are yours. All thirty-five of them."

Faith just stared, stunned. _Personal parking lot? Thirty-five cars?_ It was very obvious that the cars parked here were not any old run-of-the-mill ones. They were all Vipers, Ferraris, Porches, Jaguars…slowly, she made her way out, admiring the sleekness of the cars as Suzume followed behind. _And all these cars are mine…_she almost wanted to pinch herself, to make sure that it was not a dream. Never had she expected something like this! Maybe one car, yeah, but twenty-nine? _Oh my God. _"What am I supposed to do with thirty-five cars?"

Suzume smiled. "Drive them? L.A.'s a funny place. They don't take you seriously unless you have a to-die-for car. Also, it's intimidating."

__

Intimidating is good, Faith thought as she ran a hand down a shining black Porsche. This was amazing. "Sweet."

"Oh yes, Chef Williams is asking if you would like filet mignon or mousse duck foie gras for lunch."

"What?" She had never heard of the names before. And there are _chefs_ here??

"Well, simply put, steak or duck liver."

"Steak will do fine," she replied quickly, wondering who the heck ate livers of birds.

"Are you sure? Chef Williams makes the best foie gras in the whole of L.A."

"I'll stick with the steak." She thought for a moment. "Does this Chef Williams cook for everyone here? Like a school cafeteria guy or something?"

Suzume laughed lightly. "No, he only cooks for you."

"That means he's my own personal chef?"

"Yes."

__

Own parking lot, thirty-five cars, huge office, personal assistant, and now I have a personal chef? I could get used to this, she thought, pleased. Fighting the good fight sure got better.

She stepped out onto the pavement as the yellow cab sped away, and glanced up at the imposing building of Wolfram and Hart. Her enemy was somewhere inside. At that thought, her fists clenched. Here dwelled the murderer that killed her older brother in cold blood.

Casually sidestepping the afternoon lunch crowd, she surveyed the building. She had planned it all very well, down to the most minute detail. It had taken her a couple of months to do so, after receiving the news of that killer getting off scot-free, and all it left now was to implement that plan. Even the gods had helped her, giving her the powers of the Slayer, and all the memories of the previous Slayers that came with it. She knew what she was, and she fully intended on making use of it. It was her one chance at revenge, and she was not about to let it go.

__

Now, for the first step, entering Wolfram and Hart.

Faith idly flipped through the files that were needed for the meeting later. According to Suzume, it was about a proposed alliance. The terms had not been clear, but Suzume had passed the files to her, giving the lowdown on the major client in question. For starters, his name was Hiko Seijuro. For starters, the guy had a strange name.

And for another thing, he was a vampire, master of the elite clan of vampires in Los Angeles.

And she killed vampires.

She scowled at the papers, annoyed. This particular clan was strange; they had helped Angel in the fight against the Senior Partners, and from what Suzume said, they were not regular vampires.

"There are a few kinds of vampires in the world. In that particular clan, the vampires are not the typical soulless beasts you're used to. Even the way they are changed is different. Normal vampires almost kill you, then you have to drink their blood in exchange. For them, you just have to drink their blood, and you'll become like them."

"What's the diff?" Faith had scoffed. "A vamp by any other name is still a vamp."

Suzume had laughed then. "No, not really. You see, normal vampires have no soul. As for these particular breed of vampires, aside from their craving for blood, immortality and special powers, and the fact that they cannot resist the sleep that comes upon them when daylight arrives, they are more or less human. They breathe, they've got souls, they've got pulses, and they're warm, especially after they'd fed."

"I've never heard of them before."

"Because they stayed in the deepest of shadows; no one could lay eyes on them and leave that place alive. No one they did not intend to show their face to."

It was then that Faith had remembered the strange person from last night. Every sense had screamed at her, telling her that he was very much a vampire, but his words…

__

"My apologies. I leave no witnesses."

And that dagger he held. He was about to kill her, not suck her blood…it all seemed to add up. She had looked to Suzume then. "When you said 'special powers', what do you mean?"

She shrugged. "The ability to turn into a bat and to disappear at will, or hypnotize someone, or erase a person's memory…stuff like that."

__

Disappear at will. She leaned back in her chair and frowned. The guy from yesterday quite literally disappeared under her nose, which was annoying and disarming in the extreme.

"But you said they crave blood. Don't they kill people, too?"

"They suck blood from people who are willing, but they don't kill them. Those vampires have a strict honor code not to kill anyone they could bear to leave alive. Besides, too much human blood will erode their souls, and sooner or later, they would become a normal vampire."

"Last I heard, not many people are willing to let vamps suck on their necks."

"Then you're not looking in the right places, ma'am. There are hundreds out there who charge these kind of vampires for sucking their blood. It's a kind of drug for them, because there is a non-harmful toxin in their fangs which induce a kind of drug-like effect that makes them high, so it's a win-win situation. Almost like getting paid for taking drugs and having sex."

"Sex?"

"Yeah. Sex and blood giving always go together. Those people who willingly give blood are normally referred to as sources. "

"How do you know so much about them?"

Suzume smiled. "Because I'm one of them."

Faith stared at her. Well, at least she looked harmless enough. And there were those daily blood checks…"Oh."

"Don't worry, we're more or less harmless. Most of us are, anyway."

And for some reason, the Slayer believed her. "That particular vamp community is pretty small, huh?"

"I'm not so sure. There are not many of us out there, unlike those disgusting soulless ones, but it's big enough that there are various clans like this in every state and country. It's sort of like a gang thing, where vampires of the same kind come together. So…yeah. It's pretty big. And trust me, Miss Faith, Mr. Seijuro's clan is not to be trifled with. They were very valuable allies to Mr. Angel and his team once upon a time, and they honored that alliance by helping to keep the peace in L.A. and hunting down their soulless brothers. That should count for something."

Faith thought about it for a long moment. It was a huge handful for her brain to get around, but it made sense.

****

shahid --Hey, thanks for the lovely review! I promise it'll get bigger and better. :D

A/N: Stay tuned for the next part! I promise it'd get more interesting.

Hey…press the button below and tell me what you think!


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